Ted Rall: Why Violent Protest Is Working in Ferguson

The violent protests in Ferguson started a long-overdue conversation on police violence against African-Americans. Here’s why. Ted Rall commentary.

aNewDomain commentary — Ferguson, Missouri offers a lesson for those of us who are trying to make life more fair: Powers that be pay more attention to violent protest than nonviolence.

Coverage of the race riots following a white cop’s shooting of an unarmed young black man in that suburb of St. Louis is all over the newspaper headlines and TV network news. Federal and state officials, in a rare move, are chastising local police authorities. And now the second-guessing is extending to a do-over of the autopsy of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old victim of the shooting. Brown was shot at least six times — twice in the head — from a distance. There wasn’t even gun powder on him, a veteran NYC medical examiner has said.

It’s a breakthrough. But it’s only happening because people are coming out night after night to confront the police even though — arguably because— the police are shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at them. They’re also throwing Molotov cocktails and rocks, looting and breaking windows. The violent protest worked.

Police shootings provoke anger among the black community — and there it remains. Usually black political and religious leaders are able to persuade citizens to limit their tactics to peaceful protest. The ruling class isn’t scared by peaceful marches. That’s why they don’t lead to meaningful change.

Nonviolent protest was the reaction last month when a NYPD officer killed 43-year-old Eric Garner, suspected of selling untaxed cigarettes, using an illegal chokehold. At a rally, Garner’s mother said to a crowd: “We’re not gonna start fighting and pushing each other and breaking windows, right?”

So far, the protesters’ decision to respect private property rights has had zero effect. Garner’s death was ruled a homicide, yet the cop remains at work. He remains uncharged.

Also in New York, another unarmed 18-year-old, Ramarley Graham, was shot to death by an undercover narcotics officer who broke into his apartment without a warrant in 2012. Protesters adhered to the usual nonviolent tactics. As usual, results were nil. From The Los Angeles Times: “A judge threw out a manslaughter indictment against the officer who shot Graham on a technicality. A second grand jury failed to indict the officer, saying there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Graham’s family and local lawmakers have called for the Justice Department to investigate.”

I’m a white guy, so I don’t have to worry about getting shot by cops if I’m in a car accident. As a black man, however, Manuel Loggins, Jr. wasn’t so lucky. After Loggins wrecked his SUV, an Orange County sheriff’s deputy shot him — he was unarmed — in front of his 9- and 14-year-old daughters because he had a “mean” expression. This was in 2012. Again, there were peaceful protests. As usual, the deputy has not been charged.

This is how it always goes.

Ferguson’s protesters include old-school nonviolent civil rights types as well as younger activists who are fighting back against the police in kind. At a meeting, The New York Times reported, “clergy members despaired over the seemingly uncontrollable nature of the protest movement and the flare-ups of violence that older people in the group abhorred.”

The NYT quoted an older man from East St. Louis: “These kids do not understand why the nonviolence movement is the best way to get done what we need to get done.”

Really? Considering how quickly the violent protesters are getting results, it looks like it’s the old folks who don’t understand.

2 Comments

The night before her kid sister had gone to a high school dance with her boyfriend, they double dated with another couple.. The other couple got into a fight, broke up and caused a scene. Time for everyone to leave.

The boy was distraught over losing his girlfriend.. he wasn’t taking it well. So they took him home first, and went in the house with him to try and calm things down. Didn’t work, the kid grabbed a kitchen knife and started talking about killing himself.

His mother called the cops, thinking they’d be able to help. They did. Three officers and a sargent arrived, when the boy didn’t put down the knife, they put him out of his misery.. If I remember correctly they put about 20 bullets in him.. The 16 year old never made an aggressive move towards the cops..

The boy was White, there were no riots, no media coverage, just another justifiable police shooting..

Several months ago an old man was shot and killed when he went to investigate some the flashlights moving around in his yard.. Turns out the flashlights belonged to a couple cops who believed in the old Fearless Fosdick “Shoot First, ask questions later” school of thought. The man was white

About a year ago, in a nursing home up near Chicago a 95 year veteran was shot and killed by police, in his room, in a nursing home for for resisting medical treatment to which he was being “involuntarily” forced to undergo.. The old guy survived the Burma Jungle with Merrill’s Raiders, but not a beanbag hit, fired by a SWAT Team.. The Old Vet was also white

Over-reaction by police isn’t limited to the black community..

In this case, Brown had already injured Officer Wilson. According to 1 witness, a background conversation picked up accidentally on a You Tube Video and Wilson’s account, Brown was “Bumrushing him’ when he opened fire. The fact the autopsy indicate 6 all rounds entered the front of Brown’s body, whil not conclusive, tend to support that version of the story